


SkaiaNet FAQ

by LoverIan



Category: Homestuck, SBURB - Fandom
Genre: Gen, If you are playing this, Read This If You Want To Live, Replay Value AU, SBURB FAQ, SBURB Guide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 15:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11535561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoverIan/pseuds/LoverIan
Summary: "Hey there looks like you stumbled onto a gamefaq for a game with no release date! We have good news and bad news. Through some fuckery we ensured that this FAQ would appear in any Universe where SkaiaNet was founded. Haven't heard of SkaiaNet yet? Well get ready for your entire world to change. Literally. SkaiaNet is a corporation that will literally change your world."This FAQ is an outline of multiple things but goes in normative chronological order. Please be advised that you are responsible for your actions past this point, and that this FAQ is released only with intent of mercy and kindness.





	1. Prelude to a Swan Song

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sburb Glitch FAQ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/340777) by [GodsGiftToGrinds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodsGiftToGrinds/pseuds/GodsGiftToGrinds). 



Now to truly start this show the first thing that happens is the founding of SkaiaNet.  
The last thing is the Unfounding of SkaiaNet.  
After the founding of SkaiaNet the corporation begins hiring people, and often has preference to hiring the parents or guardians of those who will play The Game. People who eventually play may also be selected, but that's a non-standard event in the timeline.  
The staff of SkaiaNet will work on quantum tech projects whether having a basis in physics, engineering, or software. It's standard for all of these to be taking place. Funding will come from a very rich benefactor, who too is also normally the guardian of a Player.  
SkaiaNet will after the research stage will move into Production. Typically they'll do waves of research and production back and forth.  
This primes your world for The Game.


	2. The Sylladex

The first thing the world will be changed by is the introduction of quantum storage in the format of private inventories. We're not talking new backpacks, we're talking Inventory Systems.

The system will be called a Fetch Modus, and your inventory will be a Sylladex.

When the system is finished in terms of a Demo, it will be unveiled at a Tech Conference. It doesn't matter which, but the leading tech corporations must be present. We're talking Grubsoft/Crockercorp, Apple, and Glownux just to name a few from the different species and timelines affected by Skaia. This demo will shock the crowd, and will be miles ahead of anything any company has ready. The Demonstrator/CEO/whoever the fuck will put an apple on a pedastal while a presentation on the screen takes place of the Desktop-side UI. The item will jolt for half a second before disappearing entirely, while the card onscreen will show that the apple is now in the inventory. This is what is termed as "captchaloguing" The Demonstrator will make a gesture and the apple will pop an inch above their open hand. The Demonstrator will put it back onto the pedastal, summon their sylladex and show the physical form of the card and Fetch Modus briefly before walking off stage, and the logo of the Corporation will display again with a URL to the product page. All SkaiaNet personnel will evacuate the premises aside from people who will answer basic questions at the booth. These people will leave by the end of the convention, and the booth will be left behind without anything to gain from inspecting it. Other Corporations and even Governments will try to find out the secrets of this new technology before release, but will fail to legally or illegally gain the necessary info.

Release date will follow within a Month, with outliers being three weeks or three months. Release-Model Sylladices will start out with a handful of basic ones with no less than three, and no more than ten.

Here are the ten known possible starting Sylladices:

  1. Stack
  2. Queue
  3. Trie
  4. Tree
  5. Hash
  6. Fibonacci Heap
  7. Miracle
  8. Wallet
  9. Recipe
  10. Array



The price they are sold for will be based on how frustrating they are to use. The availability will start with capital cities of provinces around the world, and an online retailer.

The SkaiaNet website and the Sylladex websites will become linked, and a week before release date large amounts of user and non-user friendly info will be a part of it.

How you use a Sylladex is that you simply pick it up and take ownership of it. It will then dematerialize and you will be able to pick up items. Unless otherwise specified by the Fetch Modus type, your Sylladex will have a capacity for items related to how many Captcha Cards you own. Picking up an item with the Sylladex is done by gesture and thought within a typically limited range, and retrieving it is done as per the parameters of your Modus. Cards will be sold separately but most modii will start with 7-10 cards. Some modii will require you to use more cards for bigger items, or some other modification. The Sylladex will require no charging at any point, and will remain usable for all eternity unless it is broken.

Commercial success will be massive, and SkaiaNet will use the profits to release further Fetch Modii each month. Within the first three months of release other corporations will be allow SkaiaNet to use their intellectual properties for the purpose of a Modus, such as Jenga or Memory. After the first year the massive success of the Fetch Modus will have matched the research and development costs of SkaiaNet with profits tenfold to hundredfold.

Competing tech companies may create their own Fetch Modii, but they will always be glitchy, of subpar quality, and inefficient in research and production costs. Expect a corporation or two to go entirely bankrupt trying to do it better.

There is no corporation that can do it better for reference. The only event where a company creates Sylladices of the same quality as SkaiaNet is a case where a corporation manages to decimate the population of SkaiaNet employees, murder it's CEO, and take over the world.

Governments will make trade agreements with SkaiaNet to ensure the sale and production of Sylladices throughout their nations. The only problem any large group will have with Sylladices is that the governments of the world are not pleased that weapons cannot be captchalogued.

The next thing SkaiaNet will do is release both a "Firmware Update", and begin the next change to your world.


	3. The Strife System

The second change to your reality is that all weapons will slowly become stored in the same fashion as items on your person.

  
SkaiaNet will start development of this system approximately 2 to 11 months after the release of the Sylladex.

  
The first Demo will be at another Tech Conference, and volunteers will be asked for from the crowd. Nearly everyone wil raise their hand not knowing what is going on. Groups of two will be selected, up to Ten Groups. Each will be handed a green Portfolio, and a card. They will then be brought backstage to pick an item to prime the Specibus with for their Portfolio, and will be advised to pick things they have familiarity with.  
Once everyone has picked their item they will be led to the stage to make a semi-circle, and in 2v2 groups they will be asked to step forward and summon their weapon.  
Volunteers will then fight. Whether with hammers and chainsaws, or with slingshots and guns. Everyone will survive, and the winners will get to walk home with an extra unregistered Strife Specibus. If any deaths happen they will be excused as the entrance to the room required accepting the Terms and Conditions, and will be completely accidental deaths.  
The Volunteers will then try to sell them, or will be captured and interrogated before being forced to surrender their Specibus by corporate or government officials.  
All those who sell or forfeit their specibus will be shocked to learn that while they can give away a Specibus Card, they cannot give away their Portfolio.  
The Strife Portfolio is what gives access to the Strife Combat System, and allows people to summon the weapons held within their Specibi.  
Having a specibus without it stored in your Portfolio will only allow you to put the Specibus in your Sylladex, without the ability to use the weapons from it.  
Most will evade capture by using the Specibi they own, even in cases where a Daggerkind User will face off against a trained martial arts expert.

  
This is because the Strife Combat System will be superior to any combat previously invented. The Demo users will also have access to a system that will not become available until later.  
The Strife Combat System, normally referred to simply as Strife, is a combat system that enables those with a Strife Portfolio to summon weapons from their Specibus, and use them in combat.  
Portfolio owners will have access to tactical maneuvers and split second decisions that would normally only be available to trained professionals, and they will be able to conceal any weapon that is compatible with their Portfolio until it is time to be used.  
A Portfolio can have any number of Specibi in it, and is a container and registration system. A Strife Specibus will be a special kind of Sylladex that can only store weapons, and only weapons of it's dedicated -kind Abstracta.  
As such a Daggerkind User cannot store a pistol in their Daggerkind Specibus, and must have a Pistolkind or Gunkind specibus.  
Having possession of a Specibus gives basic usage knowledge of the specibus, that grows more rapidly than normal usage of a weapon.  
For a Specibus to have a designated -Kind it must be allocated from a blank slate, and one can choose any possible -Kind so long as they have the weapon type.

  
Release will follow within the coming weeks, and will be a full release through all stores that sell Sylladices.  
Initial release will be at an extremely discounted cost. Portfolios will be cheap, specific specibi will vary in cost (with traditional weapons being expensive), and unregistered specibi will be the most expensive unless in a packaged deal with a Portfolio.  
Unarmed versions of Strife Specibi will exist.

  
Governments, their Militias, and Corporations will not be given special access to 'early copies', and will be asked to pay a higher price. All 'jailbroken' and non-authorized ownerships of Strife Portfolios and Kind Abstracta will be remotely deactivated, and permanently so, by SkaiaNet. SkaiaNet will win any resulting legal battles due to these events, and will cite their contractual Terms of Use. All Specibi and items within them will be permanently locked.

  
Within the following year all societies will change once more to adapt to this new technology, and Strife will be considered a moderately healthy method of resolving conflict.  
Bringing a knife to a gunfight, or a knife to a fistfight, will be a valid choice as bringing fists to one, or a bottle opener, or a hammer.  
It will quickly become considered rite of passage to own a Sylladex, and Specibus, from ages of 10 upwards, but normatively starting at 11 or 13. Some schools, and programs will give them out for free even. While fighting will be prohibited on campus, and so too will bullying, Strife will be regarded like an unofficial Sport.

Contrary to initial public outcry, the Strife System will not promote Genocide, Murder, Abuse, War, Assassinations, or even Bullying.  
The Strife System will have as an unknown and hidden feature anti-abuse protocols that are triggered in a variety of situations such as initiating combat with a person who is not in the system, is underage, and/or too far away to possibly respond in Strife.  
In cases such as Domestic Abuse the Strife Portfolio will instantly dematerialize weapons, lock up, and report to the authorities a log of events. The Strife Portfolio will also keep a detailed log of any attempts of unarmed or non-strife violence, and will report those too. Abuse cases will go down due to the majority of people over 13 owning a Specibus, and being able to fight back. In any case if Strife continues with a party being not registered, or being emotionally unable to retaliate, abuse will be reported.  
This same function will be used to detect Genocide attempts, and any people attacking those who are unarmed, or with non-specibus weapons, will be locked. Rather than a report to authorities, reports to news agencies that are sympathetic, and diplomats, will happen.  
Murder rates will rapidly plummet as those over 13 will on average have access, and fatal Strifes being generally accidental due to the associated safeguards and systems, and the ability to fight back. A recognized murder attempt will result in Specibus locking and a report ot authorities.  
War will become less practical with the advent of parties becoming equalized in basic tactics and combat styles, and will result in an experience & numbers issue in addition to low fatality rates. Most conflicts will be forced into more peaceful resolutions.  
Assassination Attempts will become more difficult again because most people will have a Specibus. The Specibus enhances native bodily capabilities to where most will become able to dodge a bullet from a non-specibi rifle, or block it, all based on expected fatality. Sniper fire attempts will result in a report of the activity to authorities with a calculated location of the origin point. Additionally in-person assassination attempts with strife specibi will result in a normal strife.  
Bullying will be reported to the local school or administrative authorities, and will have similar detections including repeated attempts, and behavioral analysis.  
In short, many activities that the Strife System was expected to feed into will be curbed rather than enhanced or encouraged. While murders, assassinations, and other activities will still be possible, they will reduce in frequency and legal action will be more ensurable.

  



	4. Echeladder

The third change, and one that enhances the Strife System.  
Approximately a few months to a full two years after the release of the Strife System Echeladders will become publically available, and individuals will advance across it based on personal maturity, life achievements, strife experiences, and other activity.  
It will both enhance the capabilities of those using the Strife System, and will make many youngsters feel they've accomplished something over the course of their life.  
By the time it releases most of the people who had been testing or using the system will be midway or finished with progression.  
The rungs of the Echeladder are personalized to the user.  
Rising on the Echeladder gives the user a currency called Boondollars. These boondollars are usable to purchase items from SkaiaNet's website after the release of the system, and this includes future releases.

Are you noticing a trend?  
Good.  
If you haven't we're a bit disappointed, as the trend was explained.  
All of these world-reaching changes are priming your world for the play of The Game.


	5. The Interim

SkaiaNet Labs, Factories, and other such establishments will pop up across the world.  
They first start appearing during the prototyping phase of the Sylladex System, and finish soon after the Echeladder System is normalized.

For the duration of the remainder until the announcement of The Game, SkaiaNet will release new products of varying fantastic natures on their website for purchase with Boondollars.   
Programs to transfer boondollars will come into exist via SkaiaNet, and you'll be able to exchange the currency for goods and services, but most of all you'll be able to gradually amass Boondollars past the final rung of your Echeladder.  
By this point the chat program designed and put out by your SkaiaNet will exist, and have existed.

Once most of these miscellaneous events have happened The Game will be announced.


	6. The Game

The final change to your culture, world, species, planet?  
SBURB/SGRUB/S???? will be announced, and released.  
Very few groups learn anything vital about the game until Full Release, and we're sorry.  
This game will involve a trial by Meteor, and you will enter into another dimension if you succeed. You, and all the people you choose to play with must succeed in this first of many trials to avoid this certain death.  
If this FAQ shows up your planet is slated to Play. It doesn't matter if SkaiaNet is conquered, if SkaiaNet is disbanded, if SkaiaNet is destroyed utterly and totally.  
By the time any of that happens development will have progressed to a playable state. The files will be found on a dusty computer, on the internet, who the fuck knows where.  
If this FAQ is readable by you? It's inevitable. It may already be happening.  
The Game makes extensive usage of Sylladices, Strife, Echeladders, and Boondollars. SkaiaNet exists parodoxically to ensure that your universe has even the bare minimum chance of succeeding at The Game.  
Players will be in close looped sessions of as many as 2 to 48. Averages range from 4-12, but 48 is the highest known number of players.  
If SBURB has not been announced we recommend you keep this knowledge privy, and that you click the links 'Predicter' and 'Sessions'.

What we recommend to survive the end of your species, your home planet, your world as you know it, and avert your death?  
Play.  
Form a tightly knit group of friends in preferentially even number (Odd is ok, but the game likes even numbers better). It doesn't matter if the release date is ten years from now or three months. Talk to them, become close to them, exchange gifts, talk daily or weekly or monthly.  
Just make sure you have a Session, and that everyone has a copy. Anyone who dies before installation, or fails to obtain a copy may need to be excluded from the loop. Whether they find another session or not, if you cannot help them they are doomed.   
And trust us they can't just piggyback by staying with a friend who is playing. In a way they can, but they are still doomed for death. In some cases piggybacking is advisable, but if you can play you should.  
Playing requires an internet connection, and being at the location you install during Entry. You could play in a public building if you are homeless, but ensure that you play somewhere.  
We recommend keeping in contact via a Chat Program that is created by SkaiaNet, it's affiliates, equivalents, or successors, on your planet. Other chat clients may be susceptible to not working anymore, you know, because the world ended.

If you've seen this guide we wish you the best of luck possible, wish you mercy, and welcome you with open arms to the community.  
Again, we're sorry. We really wish you didn't have to see this.  
If you're lucky you'll die peacefully before things get to this state.  
If you're unlucky, again we welcome you as a fellow player.

This FAQ will not cover anything further, as by the time Release happens other FAQ that are dedicated to Play will be available.


	7. Why are you Still Reading?

Links

[Predicter](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/) \- This is a link to a multi-dimensional website that will predict with moderate accuracy the release date of each stage, and The Game. Now with alerts!  
[Sessions](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002774) \- This is a similar link and will show you a global map of estimated sessions, and if you switch to Mode B you can look at the number of Sessions. If the game is actively being played you can see a mesh of Playstate (such as failures to Enter, Non-Installed versions), and Meteor Size.  
[Skaia.Net](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6) \- This link will send you to SkaiaNet's official site once it's up.  
[Glitch FAQ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/340777/chapters/551606) \- A highly recommended FAQ that will be available by the announcement of The Game. There is a forums linked that we recommend you to use once you've installed The Game.  
[SBURBsim](http://farragofiction.com/SBURBSim/landing.html) \- A window into the other worlds, universes, dimensions, where people like your own play SBURB. Many are pre-recorded, but some you can meddle with to ensure their survival.  
Standards and Constants - Check this link to make sure your species/planet is normative for The Game. If it's not you may want to read as many FAQ's as you can and adapt as soon as possible.  
The Game - If you've checked the links and there is no release date, SkaiaNet died off a while ago, and you haven't even heard of the game but the Sessions list displays a session or two (or two hundred) you may want to click this and get all your friends in a session with you. This link has the most stable copy we could find, and is hyperlinked in your universe when the parameters we just described are valid. Good luck!

* * *

 

MISC

Deviations are dystopic worlds, pre-modernized worlds, non-SkaiaNet worlds, etc.  
Coming from these generally means you're fucked. You can still play and win, but things may be weird.

If a person contacts you saying they just say your friend die before they could install the game, but they've played before?  
Trust them please dear god trust them. Your survival rate increases massively.  
Some versions of the game have these weird bugs that cause people to have to replay the game over and over again. Normally new players never get old ones mixed into their group, but if you do you're playing with a person who's beaten the game once already.

The Unfounding of SkaiaNet is the time the world is destroyed, or if it's a specific lab, the time that the Lab ends up destroyed, or entering The Game.  
If it's a location within half a mile of your house and you'll be playing we recommend sneaking in, and pulling open the Countdowns link!  
Your computer will synch up to the countdown clocks, and when you go back to your place or wherever you play we recommend pulling the countdown back up to check it against your Entry Timer. If the Unfounding is before your time limit...  
Congrats! We can say with 90% certainty that you're fated to survive Entry.  
If the countdown on your computer desynchs after you install The Game, this Lab or location isn't going to enter when you do. You might be fated to fail, or it might be another player's!

* * *

 

"The Authors"

Hey there so this is a collaborative effort from many different timelines, species, and realities. Multiple players participated in the creation of this document to ensure rising survival rates among players and potential players.

eternallyThinking (eT): I'm the one who ghostwrote this fucking mess. Congrats on reading my shitfest, and good luck on living through the apocalypse. I've replayed SBURB too many fucking times. Wheeee I got to format and sample from every single fucking contribution : DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD  
sleightedCoroner (sC): Ee-ee-ee, I'm the coordinator of this project. I made sure everyone's contributions were timely and met the goals.  
retroQuest (rQ): Guess what awesome guy handled coding the AI that handles managing these FAQ's, it's me yes I am the one who did it, praise be unto me and all that. This was really a labor of love for me since I'm only really used to coding VLARP scenarios and npc's you know? I also served as liason to a lot of the nonhuman sessions and searched for potential ghostwriters for their versions.

sC: Wee-ee-ee had so many contributors we'll need to list them in a forum topic, so feel free to check the GameFAQ topic we'll be listing in LINKs!


End file.
